The greatest thing about living in New York is the pizza.
Ok, perhaps that’s a slight exaggeration, but it’s one of the biggest perks.
We have some of the best damn pizza in the world, and there are many schools of thought as to why this is. A lot of people say it’s our water; I’ve heard there are places around the country that even ship our water out every week so they can make dough. I guess the proof is in the…well, proof. Dough proofing. It’s a thing.
My point is this: even our mediocre pizza still beats “the best pizza in Bumblefuck, USA”. You feel me? So this wasn’t an easy thing to do. I can rattle off 20 places I like, but I tried to narrow it down to my absolute favorites. If you are visiting NYC or just moved here, these are the places you need to check out. If you have any suggestions or places you think I left out, comment below!
Best NYC Pizza 2017
- Joe’s: I think Joe’s will always be in my top 3 (seriously it’s been there for the past 10 years or so). I love it so much. It’s the quintessential New York slice. Crisp crust, slightly sweet red sauce, and just the right amount of cheese. You know those slices where you take a bite and the cheese slides off like a big sheet of ice on a warm roof? And then it slaps you in the chin? Not the case here. It’s just perfect. I have drunk-dialed Joe’s pizza from a cab many, many a time. No shame in that game.
- Prince Street Pizza: If the line outside of this cult fave isn’t enough to prove it’s staying power, then just buy a slice and put it in your mouth. The square slice with those little pepperoni cups is EVERYTHING. Believe it or not, I only tried it for the first time last year. Word of advice: go during the mid-afternoon on a weekday when it’s not going to be busy. Or just wait in line. It’s worth it.
- Emmy Squared: The Detroit-style square pie that has taken NYC by storm is actually located in Williamsburg, BK, and it has been a favorite of mine since it’s birth in 2016. The cheesy crust all around is really what sells it, but the toppings are no slouch either (burrata, honey, hatch chilies…hiiiii)
- Rubirosa: This is a great spot that I recommend to basically anyone who is in the Soho area. It’s my favorite Vodka pie in the city, and the crust is super thin. So if you’re into that type of pie, you’ll love it here. The house wines are delish too. Oh and I cut them this way for a Valentine’s Day post – sadly they do not come in heart shapes. *but they prob should*
- Speedy Romeo: This is not quintessential NYC pizza, but it’s creative and it’s wonderful. The White Album pie is one of my favorites and it’s a white pie. I typically don’t even like white pies. Ricotta, mozz, pecorino, garlic…yea, it’s drool city.
- Rossopomodoro: I was just here over the weekend with some girlfriends and it was just as good as I remembered it. Sitting on the corner in one of the most quintessential NYC neighborhoods (West Village) is Rossopomodoro, and they have that amazing chewy, Neopolitan style, wood-fired crust. I could eat this type of pizza every day for the rest of my life.
- Vinnie’s: Another one that’s actually in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, BK, but worth the trip for some specialty slices like the chicken bacon ranch or the eggplant parm. They were also the creators of the Instagram sensation, “Pizza Inception“, with the mini pizzas on top of a slice of pizza. Don’t sleep on their regular pepperoni slice too. It’s delicious. *below is the CBR on the right*
- DiFara: I’m not going to lie to you – it’s expensive. And it’s far. BUT hoooo mayyyy gaaahdddd. I love it here. It’s so old school, and the pizza is a cross between Italy and classic NYC. It’s not super thin, but not super doughy and chewy either, and it can even be a little messy. There is beauty in imperfection. Then it’s drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil the second it comes out of the oven. If you can make it here, I highly suggest it. It’s a classic. And I took probably the world’s best photo here of owner Dom DeMarco making pizza, and looking exactly like a portrait of himself that hangs in the restaurant. I’m amazing, I know.
And here’s another pic of DiFara so you can actually see the pizza. The heavy hand with the parm…I don’t hate it.
Im from the midwest and there are limited options for awesome pizza. I feel like I need to make a special trip to New York. The PIZZA alone would make the trip worth the effort.
P.S. That pic of DiFara is great.
I am so proud of that DiFara pic, I can’t lie haha so thank you! And you have to make an NYC trip for the pizza AND bagels – worth it 100%
The Speedy Romeo Pizza looks amazing!
best nyc pizza
It’s so so good! You gotta try it.
Already tried 2 of them 😍😍 can’t wait to try the rest soon!!
What was your fave?!